Adapter-stylus for phonographs.



E. S. OLIVER.

ADAPTER STYLUS FOR -P| -|O NOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 29, 1915 Patented Feb.1, 1916.

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Q1 wu/ ATTORNEYS OFFlfiE.

. ELLIS s. pLrvnn, or NEWARK, NEwJERsEY.

ADAPTER-STYLUS non rnonoenarz-r's.

7 I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916-.

Application filed March '29, 1915. Serial No. 17,600.

of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adapter-Styli for Phonographs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, refer-; ence being'had to the accompanying draw-- ings, andto characters or reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica tion.

to improvements in phonograph apparatus; and the invention has reference more particularly to an adapter stylus which will operate to transmitthe, vertical vibrations produced'by the vertical indentations of a:

sound-record disk to produce the horizontal vibrations of a diaphragm of a reproducing 1 plane, or in a plane parallel to the vertical axis of the stylus or needle; and the horizontal or lateral impressions which consists of a series of lateral or horizontal indentations or impressions formed in the face of the disk, which, when traveling against a soundbox stylus or needle, produce lateral vibrathe stylus are transmitted directly to the tions of the stylus or needle. Usually in a phonograph instrument arranged to play the former type of sound-record disk, .the

sound-box is positioned so that the diaphragm thereof lies in a horizontal plane and substantially parallel to the disk surface, and the vertical vibrations imparted to diaphragm; and in a phonograph instrument arranged to play the latter type of a sound-record disk, the sound'box is positioned so that the diaphragm thereof lies in a vertical plane and substantially at right. angles to the disk'surface, and the horizontal vibrations imparted to the stylus are trans mitted indirectly through a pivoted vibrator-arm, to which the stylus is secured,to

The present invention relates generally,

the diaphragm. Consequently the soundbox positioned and equipped for playing said latter type of sound-record disk cannot play or respond to the sound-record impressions of the former type of sound-record disk, since the vertical vibrations caused by adapted to be connected vwith the ordinary I needle-socket of the vibrator-arm of a vertical sound-box, in place of the usual type of needle adapted to play horizontal soundrecord impressions, so that, without other change, the vertical vibrations recorded by the vertical or hill and dale sound-record impressions may be. transmitted through such adapter stylus to the pivoted vibrator arm and vertical diaphragm of the vertical sound-box, so that the latter is adapted to reproduce the sounds recorded upon such type of sound-recorddisk.

Other objects of the present invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description ofithe present invention.

With the various objects of the present invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel and simpleconstruction of a detachable or interchangeable adapter stylus for phonograph sound-boxes, hereinafter set forth; and, the invention consists, furthermore, in the several novel arrangements and combinations of the various parts there- .of, as well as in the details of the construction thereof, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the claims which are appended to and which form an essential part of this specification.

- The invention is clearly illustrated in the I 2 is an edge side view of said vertical soun box so equipped. Fig. 3 is a. longitudinalerence character 1 indicates a sound-box for playing soundrecord disks, said sound-box being so connected with the tonearm 2 of a phonograph apparatus as to be positioned vertically to dispose the diaphragm 3 there of in a vertical plane at right angles to the horizontal plane of the sound-record disk adapted to be revolved beneath said sound box. Connected with the lower side 4 of said sound-box are the fulcrum-projections or points 5 upon which is fulcrumed the pivot-frame 6 of an upwardly extending vibrator-arm 7, the upper end of which is connected with'the diaphragm 3 in the usual manner. Connected with and extending downwardly from said pivot-frame 6 is the needle or stylus socket S, which receives and securely connects 1Il operative relation to' said vibrator-arm a needle or stylus adapted to contact operatively with the sound-record impressions of a sound-record disk. Said needle or stylus socket 8 is provided with the usual set-screw or lock-screw 9 for securing the needle or stylus in the socket 8. When reproducing from a sound-record disk in which the sound-record impressions are of the horizontal or lateral form, a

straight vertically extending needle or stylus is secured in the socket 8, the same being in vertical alinement with the fulcrum-projections or points 5, so that the lateral or horizontal vibrations imparted to the needle or stylus point cause a rocking of the pi ot-frame 6 which transmits similar horizontal or lateral vibrations to the vibrator-arm 7 which in turn vibrates the diaphragm 3 to reproduce the recorded sounds from the soundrecord impressions.

It will be apparent that, with the type of sound-box, constructed as above described, equipped with a straight needle or stylus as above mentioned.- a sound-record formed with "er'tical or bill and'dale soundrec- 0rd impressions could not be played or its points 5. Consequently no rocking or oscillation of the vibrator-arm Z Would result,

but merely a vertical rise and fall of the entire sound-box'bodily, with no vibratory effect upon the diaphragm 3. Itis there-v fore necessary to provide an adapter stylus, which can be used in place of the ordinary straight needle or stylus so that through 'such means the vertical or bill and dale sound record impressions may be utilized to vibrate the diaphragm 3. My present inven tion provides such an adapter stylus which Y is of novel and simple construction, and

which may be interchangeably used in place of said straight needle or stylus in connection with the socket 8 of the vibrator arm 7 of the same type of sound-box.

My novel adapter stylus comprises a horizontally extending main-body 10, of any de- Connected sirable cross sectional shape. rigidly with and extending upwardly from one end of said main-body 10, and at right angles to the axis thereof, is a butt-piece or shank 11 of a proper diameter to be received or inserted in the socket 8 "of the vibrator-arm 7, by which means the adapter stylus is operatively secured to the vibratorarm 7 in substantially the same manner as an ordinary straight needle or stylus. Formed in the outer or free end of said main-body 10 is a longitudinally extending tuoular opening 12.

The reference character 13 indicates a stylus-head, the same having a shoulder 14 at one end from which extends a horizontal shank-piece 15. Said stylus-head 13 is provided with a vertically extending opening or socket 16 extending therethrough. Into this opening is inserted the upwardly extending tail-piece 17 of a stylus-point setting 18, which extends and is positioned in a plane below the-under side of said mainbody 10. .The stylus-point 19 is fixed in said setting 18, and may be made of any suitable material. preferably of diamond or emerald stone. The said shank-piece 15 is slidably received in said tubular opening 12, so that the said stylus-point and its supporting parts mav be moved inward or outward to adjust the same toward and away from the main-body 10, so that the leverage provided through th'esame and the said main-body maybe decreased or increased at will, or in other words adjustable for pur-" cal internally screw-threaded opening 20 in- .1

which is arranged the threaded shank of a set or look screw'21, which is adapted to he brought into binding relation to said shankpiece 15 to securely hold the same, and the stylus parts connected therewith, in any desired adjusted position in which the same has been arranged. i

The operation 01 my novel adapted stylus is as follows:The butt-piece is inserted in the socket 8 of the vibrator-arm 7 and 10 is off-set or positioned to one side of the pivot, or fulcrum axis of the vibrator-arm- 7. Now when a sound-record disk 22 provided with vertical or hill and d 1,, sound-record impressions 23 is revolved be-' neath said stylus-point 19 and in contact therewith, a vertical vibration or oscillation of said stylus-point 19 is producedfwhich effects a vertical vibration vor oscillation of the. outer end of said main-body 10, but since the Styluspoint 19 is off-set from the fulcrum-projections -or points 5 of the sound-box this vertical vibration or oscillation when transmitted through said off-set horizontal main-body is translated into a horizontal vibration or oscillation of' the socket 8, pivot-frame 6 and vibrator-arm 7 so that the upper end of the latter is vibrated horizontally toproduce the proper vibratory eifect'of the diaphragm 3 of the soundbox. In simple terms instead of the vibration of the said vibrator-arm 7 being effected by a simple lever oscillation, it is effected, as a result of the off-set construction of the adapter stylus, by a bell-crank lever oscillation.

By moving or adjusting the stylus-point 19 and its supporting parts outwardly relative to. said main-body 10, by'sliding outward said shank-piece 15, the leverage of said off-set portion or main-body is 'increased relatively to the leverage of the vibrator-arm 7, and since the sound-record impressions 23 always oscillate the styluspoint vertlcally the same distance'in all positions thereof, it follows that by increasing the leverage of said off-set portion or mainbody, the oscillations or vibrations of the vibrator-arm 7 and the diaphragm 3 of the sound-box are reduced in scope, that is the arc of movement is shortened. and conse-' quently the tones produced by the diaphragm 3 of the sound-box are reduced in volume or softened. Conversely if the stylus-point 19 and its supporting parts are -moved or adiusted inwardlyrelatively to phragm 3 of the sound-box are increased in' volume or. loudened. It will therefore be apparent that by such a simple meansmy adapter stylus may be delicately adjusted to produce various degrees of tone volume and audible strength, quickly, easily, and

efiicaciously.

Referring now to Fig. 4c of the drawings, I have illustrated a slight modification of In this construction the various essential features are the same as already above described and are indicated by the same referenceletters. In addition to said features is provided a. resilient coating or sleeve 2a surrounding and fixed upon said shank-piece 15. This sleeve may be made of hardened shellac, collodion, asphaltum, rubber, or. any other substance which provides the qualities I seek, namely, a certain limited degree of resiliency, or shock-absorbing effect, which will not, however, impairthe proper transmission therethrough, of the vibrations or oscillations'imparted to the stylus-point by the sound-record impressions 23. The use of such a resilient body as the sleeve 24, interposedbetween the stylus-point supporting parts and said main-body 10, tends to soften or sweeten the tones produced by the sound-box diaphragm when vibrated by such novel adapter stylus, and tends to eliminat-e the harshness, clang, and metallic sounds usually incident, more or less, to phonographicsound reproduction.

Referring now to Fig. 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated therein another modified the construction of my novel adapted stylus.

construction of my. novel adapter stylus."

This construction comprises a main-body 25,

provided at one end with the upwardly e 'xscrew 29, having at its inner end a reduced 'binding-point 30 is arranged in an internally screw-threaded opening 31, so that the same may be brought into holding or binding engagement with said reed stylus 28 to rigidly secure the same to the main-body 25 in proper downwardly projected relation to the outer end'thereof.

I am aware that -some changes may be made in the various arrangements and combinations of the-various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction thereof,without departing from the scope of mypresent invention. Hence, I do not limit my present invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the said parts as described in the foregoing specification, nor do I confine myself to. the exact details of the construction of said parts as shown in the accompanying drawings.

I claim l 1. An adapter stylus for a sound-bombaving its diaphragm in a plane phonograph substantially perpendicular to the soundpie ce slidablv entering said receiving-opening, and means connected with said body and adapted to engage said shank-piece to secure said stylus-point supporting means in. desired longitudinally adjusted position 1 relatively to said body.

projected stylus-point carried by said stylus head, and means connected with said body and adapted to engage said shank-piece to secure said stylus-head in desired longitudinally adjusted position relatively to said body.

3. An adapter stylus for a phonograph sound-boX having its diaphragm in a-plane substantially perpendicular to the sound-record disk to be reproduced comprising a horizontal body, a vertical butt-piece extending upwardly from one end of said body, said body having a receiving-opening extending longitudinally into the same from its outer Y Gcpies of this vatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

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